Leave propane fireplace pilot on or not?

[mesa123]

I am brand new to using propane. We got this stove/fireplace hooked up this month. It is wonderful. I turn it on when I get home from work and it is instant heat that does run on electricity (well, except for the ignition). When I go to bed in the evening, I turn the flame off and turn off the propane at the shut-off valve on the floor.

Is there any reason why I should be leaving the shut-off valve open and keep the pilot light burning when the stove/fireplace is not in use during the day? I understand the theory behind leaving a pilot light on certain appliances to prevent propane build up inside, but I don't think that really applies here. The tank valves are still open, but we've been checked for leaks and I have propane and carbon monoxide detectors in the house.

I don't want to waste fuel, but I also don't want to do anything dangerous.

Thanks!

[Sawmill Jim]

I would think if it weren't safe the Co. would done be out of buisness . That fancy heater should have a T stat to keep a nice steady temepeture in the house too .

All else fails read instructions

[ninny]

Turn the pilot off, they use more gas than you think.

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[Sawmill Jim]

Originally Posted by ninny

Turn the pilot off, they use more gas than you think.

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True but in the winter it is still heat in the house . Some those newer heaters have a demand pilot some are standing . Also those newer heaters are a tad on the fenikey side sometimes . I figure if I can't stand the cost of a piloit light i'm going to freeze to death this winter anaway .

[Awnry Abe]

If it is a picky, tricky, hard to light pilot....keep it lit.

[maddy]

I once looked into the question of how much propane a pilot light uses. As I recall, it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't negligible either.

My serviceman summed it up this way: Either you pay for the propane, or you pay to have the bees cleaned out of your chimney.

I opted to turn off the pilot light and to cover the vent with mesh when the fireplace is not in use. As it has turned out, I don't use the fireplace at all, since the smell of burning propane gives me headaches, and I find nothing aesthetically pleasing about looking at a gas flame. However, since you enjoy your fireplace, it may worth it to you to keep the pilot light going.

[ndpygora]

Depending on the unit you have the pilot also heats a thermocouple or thermopile to produce mv to the gas valve. On a sealed unit it also helps to keep the condensation down and help provide proper air flow when the unit is not running.

[jassytoo]

We leave ours on during the winter. We turn it off during the summer when we are not using the fireplace. Lighting the pilot light is a pain, don't want to do that every time we want to put the fire on.